Spain have secured their place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating France 2-0 in their semifinal clash on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.
The victory continues Spain's recent dominance over France, having also eliminated Les Bleus in the UEFA Euro 2024 and UEFA Nations League 2025 semifinals.
Spain took the lead in the first half through Mikel Oyarzabal, who calmly converted a penalty after teenage star Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the box. The Spaniards maintained control of the match with disciplined defending and effective pressing that kept France's attacking trio of Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé largely quiet.
France suffered an additional setback in the 30th minute when defender William Saliba was forced off with a back injury and replaced by Maxence Lacroix.
After the break, France made tactical changes in an attempt to get back into the game, but Spain remained firmly in control. Goalkeeper Unai Simón produced key saves to deny the French side any chance of a comeback.
Pedro Porro doubled Spain's advantage early in the second half, finishing off a well-worked team move to put the result beyond doubt.
Spain comfortably saw out the remainder of the match to book their spot in the World Cup final, where they will face either England or Argentina on July 19.
The win also extends Spain's unbeaten run to 37 matches, equalling Italy's record for the most consecutive international games without defeat.
France's World Cup campaign comes to an end, while Spain move one step closer to lifting football's biggest prize for a second time.
